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Public presses Middlesex Borough School District on removed archived meeting audio and records access
Summary
At the April 29 board meeting, a resident urged the Middlesex Borough School District to restore or explain removal of years of archived meeting audio that previously appeared on the district website; the board said access now may require a records request and discussed where answers and policies are posted.
At its April 29 meeting the Middlesex Borough School District Board of Education heard a public complaint that a large set of archived meeting audio files previously available on the district website has been removed and that obtaining those recordings now requires a formal records request.
Kevin Resinski, who gave his address during public comment, told the board the files had been available for years and included special meetings and town referendum meetings. He asked where the files are, how to access them and why the district removed them from the public site. “Those files stood up there for close to 7 years,” Resinski said, calling the change an “obstruction” and saying the recordings represent community history.
Board staff and members responded that the district maintains records-request procedures and that audio previously on the website can now be retrieved through the public-records process. A board representative said, in effect, that an “over request” (a formal request) is the mechanism for retrieval and reiterated that operation of archived files and record access are governed by the district’s records policies and current website design.
The exchange led residents to press the board for clearer website navigation and more direct links to meeting materials. Board staff said answers to previously asked questions will be linked to meeting agendas going forward and pointed to the district’s policy and board-docs pages for posted policies, including budget materials and other public records.
The board did not take further action on the issue during open session; members said they would follow up with staff about posting guidance on where to find archived materials and how to request recordings.
The meeting continued with committee reports, votes on routine action items and a planned executive session on attorney–client and confidential student matters.
